Mayor Adrian Fenty stood with his top fire and police officials in front of a D.C. firehouse Wednesday to declare that prostitutes were not working out of the station. And if they were, Fenty said, the city would get to the bottom of it.
“This is not a house of prostitution,” D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin said.
Fenty called the news conference in front of the Engine 27 Fire House in Northeast Washington to respond to reports that the city was investigating allegations of sexual misconduct within the fire department, including accusations that a prostitution ring was being run out of the fire station and others.
The mayor, Rubin and Police Chief Cathy Lanier tried their best to temper rumors and satisfy a hungry press corps without divulging the details of the probe.
“It’s extremely important that residents know thatanything this untoward will not be tolerated,” Fenty said.
At least three employees have come forward with allegations that workers were getting special treatment in exchange for sex, Battalion Chief Kenneth Crosswhite said. He said he didn’t know if special treatment meant overtime, preferred assignments or extra pay.
The allegations surfaced shortly after a female paramedic alleged that on Aug. 1 an Engine 8 sergeant pulled down his pants when she asked for overtime. The sergeant has since resigned.
One former EMT showed up at the news conference to tell the mayor that she had been sexually harassed. Latisha Porter said she was fired last month after she complained that a lieutenant ordered her to pull her pants down. Porter said she has been harassed ever since she testified nearly six years ago about female employees being told to choose between having babies or being a fire paramedic. Crosswhite said a new internal affairs unit will look into her allegations.
Rubin said he has ordered background checks of all fire department employees starting with himself and his top four chiefs. Employees also would have to take drug and alcohol tests, Rubin said.
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